GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines volleyball team rallied from a two-set deficit Friday night and pulled off a 3-2 victory against Colorado Mesa at Lockridge Arena.
 
The trio of Amanda Donais Dudley, Hailee Martinez, and Francesca Nuzzo fueled the winning effort as each provided a double-double performance. Donais Dudley's final line included a match-high 16 kills on .308 hitting, 12 digs, seven blocks and two assists. Martinez' resume featured 35 assists, 14 digs, two aces, and two kills. Nuzzo notched 10 kills, 13 digs, and three total blocks. Jada Price dazzled in the backrow and finished touting 26 digs. Morgan McChesney, Jenna McLaughlin and Abbie O'Shay augmented Price's defensive efforts by providing a stout block. McChesney tallied seven total blocks while McLaughlin and O'Shay combined for nine total blocks. Also notable were Price's three service aces.
 
Mines (15-4, 6-3 RMAC) prevailed in the match by producing 17 blocks as a team. That limited Colorado Mesa (12-7, 6-4 RMAC) to a .171 attack percentage after the Mavericks entered the evening as one of the nation's top-25 hitting teams. In comparison, CMU had eight blocks and the Orediggers' only converted at a .176 clip. In the end, the blocks made all the difference as Mines narrowly fell short in total kills, digs, and service aces. The victory snapped the Orediggers' three-match skid against the Mavericks. It also helped Mines move into sole possession of fifth place in the conference standings, just one game back of Fort Lewis and CSU Pueblo, and two games back of the league leaders.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the first two games of the night, Mines jumped to leads of 8-3 and 9-3. Both advantages quickly dissipated as the visitors rallied to winning scores of 25-17 and 25-20. O'Shay's four kills in the opening set and eight combined kills by Donais Dudley and Cadence McDonald in the second frame couldn't keep the Orediggers from facing down a quick, straight-set loss. However, clearly, the tide started to turn after the intermission between the second and third set.
 
A series of challenges throughout the third game disrupted the flow of the match. The disturbance played in favor of the hosts. Naomi Romslo and McChesney teamed up on a block to make the score 24-22 after the match was tied at 22. McChesney knocked down the winning point off a Martinez set for the 25-22 win. Momentum stayed with the Orediggers in the fourth set. The highlights were Nuzzo's six error-free kills and seven blocks as a team. McChesney and Donais Dudley recorded five blocks each in the 25-17 equalizer.
 
In the decisive frame, the drama intensified with eight ties and four lead changes. Colorado Mesa won the race to eight points, owning an 8-5 advantage as the team switched sides. Then, kills by McLaughlin and Nuzzo combined with a CMU error brought Mines even at 8-8. From that point forward, neither team led by more than two points, until the final rally. The Mavericks scrambled as they faced match point, but the block of McLaughlin and Donais Dudley reigned supreme. That 17th block of the match afforded Mines a 16-14 win and completed the reverse sweep.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines volleyball has defeated Colorado Mesa 23 times in program history.
- Friday marked the Orediggers' first win over the Mavericks since a five-set thriller in the 2021 RMAC tournament.
- Donais Dudley's double-double was her 27th in a Mines uniform. Her seven blocks against CMU marked a single-match best.
- Martinez now boasts nine double-doubles as an Oredigger and 18 total in her college career.
- Nuzzo owns two double-doubles with Mines and five total as a collegian.
- In less than two college seasons, McLaughlin boasts exactly 150 career blocks.
- Price's service aces matched her career-best for a fourth time. She also had a single-match high of six assists and 26 digs on Friday.
- Mines Head Coach Jamie Magalei is now 379-143 in her 18th season at the helm.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines hosts Westminster on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. Free live stats will be available, as well as live video with a subscription to the RMAC Network.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines volleyball on "X" (formerly Twitter) at @minesvolleyball and on Instagram at @mines.volleyball. They can also follow all of Mines Athletics year around on Facebook, "X", and Instagram at @MinesAthletics.